Pages

September 30, 2013

Flight trials of the MiG-29K on the INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) in the Barents Sea have been completed. Deliveries of the naval version of the fighter to India continue, with the carrier to follow on November 15, and the Russian Navy will soon receive its first MiG-29K. The Russian defense ministry confirmed this month that its only remaining carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, will be modernized to accept MiG-29Ks as well as the Sukhoi Su-25UTG light attack and Su-33 combat aircraft.

The latest series of flights, conducted in August and September, used two factory aircraft (a MiG-29KUB two-seater, side number 204, and a single-seat MiG-29K, side number 941). The dozen flights demonstrated takeoffs and landings at night, and with a maximum practical combat load specified by the Indian customer. These trials followed a previous series of 42 customer-specified missions from the same carrier between June and August last year.

RAC MiG director general Sergei Korotkov commented, “The completion of the flight trials from the carrier’s deck marks a milestone in the life-cycle of the ship Project 11430 as well as the MiG-29K/29KUB program.” RAC MiG’s next step will be to train Indian navy pilots in the techniques of ship-borne operations.

The MiG-29K/KUB are attributed to the “4++” generation of Russian combat aircraft. They are intended for air defense of a carrier task group: establishing air superiority over the theater of sea-land operations, destroying land and seagoing targets with precision-guidance munitions in all weathers, day and night. The customized Indian navy MiG-29KUB first flew in January 2007, followed in March 2008 by the first flight of a deliverable aircraft.

In 2011 RAC MiG delivered the last airframe in the initial batch of 16 aircraft to the Indian navy under the contract signed in 2004. Last year the manufacturer delivered the first four of 29 more naval MiGs to India. The Russian Navy has ordered 24 MiG-29Ks.

The Admiral Kuznetsov will be modernized within the next five years by the Sevmash shipyard. Conversion of the INS Vikramaditya has been controversial, with the cost to India having risen from some $600 million to more than $2 billion.

September 29, 2013

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has taken delivery of the final two
Sukhoi Su-30MK2 multirole fighter aircraft under contract from Russia at
the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in Makassar, Indonesia.

Indonesian defence minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro was quoted by local
media as saying that the country has invested around $1.17bn on
procurement of the 16 aircraft along with ammunition, pilot training and
logistic packages.

September 23, 2013

Six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems have been delivered to the
Russian military ahead of schedule to ensure security during the Sochi
Winter Olympics in 2014, a senior defense ministry official said.

The XXII Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to take place from February 7 to 23 in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

The first Winter Olympics to be held in Russia are widely regarded as an
opportunity for the country to showcase its economic achievements under
President Vladimir Putin.

September 19, 2013

With all trials successfully completed in the White Sea and Barents Sea, the Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) aircraft
carrier will be commissioned into Indian Navy service between November
15-20 at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Russia.

September 5, 2013

São Paulo, Brazil, September 3, 2013 – Embraer Defense & Security held the delivery ceremony, today, for the first modernized A-1 (A-1M) fighter jet to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) at its industrial plant in Gavião Peixoto, in outstate São Paulo. The event was attended by the Aeronautics Commander, Air Force General Juniti Saito, and officers from the FAB’s High Command. O A-1M program provides for refurbishing and modernizing 43 subsonic AMX jets, 16 of which are already at the Company’s facilities.

The A-1M jet has the capability of performing air-to-ground attack, bombing, tactical air support and reconnaissance missions. The modernized FAB airplanes will receive new systems for navigation, weaponry, oxygen generation, multimode radar, and electronic countermeasures. This equipment, along with structural refurbishment, will allow these jets to continue operating until 2025. According to the Embraer modernization program, the A-1Ms will receive systems that are similar to those that are also found on the F-5Ms and the A-29 Super Tucanos belonging to the FAB. This will assist with the adaptation period of the pilots and provides standardization with numerous operational advantages, such as improved fleet management policy, better output in terms of flight hours, and reduced maintenance and operating costs.

India’s Defense Ministry has
signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for delivery of T-90 tank
missiles manufactured under Russian license to the Indian army, The
Hindu daily newspaper reported Tuesday.
Under the contract, estimated at $470 million, the deliveries of the
Invar missiles, to be put on T-90 tanks, are to be completed within the
next five years.

Invar is a laser-guided antitank missile with a range of five
kilometers (three miles) and capability of penetrating explosive
reactive armor.Bharat Dynamics has been manufacturing the missiles in collaboration
with Russia’s state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport. According to media reports, India is planning to procure 25,000 Invar
missiles for its T-90 tanks, including 10,000 to be bought directly
from Russia and 15,000 to be manufactured domestically under Russian
license.

September 2, 2013

Bolstering IAF’s capability to swiftly transport combat troops and equipment such as tanks to the front, Defence Minister A K Antony will today formally induct its biggest 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base near here.
The Defence Minister will formally induct the aircraft procured from the US under newly-formed 81 ‘Skylord’ Squadron here, IAF officials said here. The American C-17, with a capability to carry around 80 tonnes of load and around 150 fully geared troops, will replace the Russian Il-76 as the biggest aircraft in the IAF inventory till now.

The IAF has placed orders with the US for ten such aircraft under the
deal signed in 2011 and three of them have already been delivered.
The US Air Force will complete the delivery of all the 10 aircraft by the end of next year.
The aircraft is expected to enhance the operational potential of the
IAF with its payload carriage and performance capability and would
augment the strategic reach during disaster relief or any similar
missions.

After the completion of the 10 aircraft, the IAF may also exercise the option of procuring six more planes for its fleet.